Personalities

Shaikh Mufeed and some others say, that Abdullah bin Khazin says, that I was appointed by Muslim bin Aqeel (A.S) as a spy in the palace so as to inform him of the treatment being meted out to Hani. When I saw that they had beaten Hani and later imprisoned him, I mounted my horse and hastened to inform Muslim regarding it. Muslim told me to go and call out in a loud voice to his supporters. And he had gathered four thousand men in the adjoining houses. I went and called out to them, “O defenders of the nation,” this being their slogan. Then they informed one another and gathered near Muslim.

Jazari says that Muslim gave the charge of the clan of Bani Kindah to Abdullah bin Aziz Kindi and told him to walk in front of him. Then he gave the charge of the clans of Mazhaj and Asad to Muslim bin Awsaja Asadi, the charge of the clans of Tameem and Hamadan to Abu Samamah Saedi, and the charge of (the battalion of) Medina to Abbas bin Ja’dah Jadali, and proceeded towards the royal palace. When the news reached Ubaydullah he hid inside the palace and closed it’s doors. Muslim surrounded the palace from all sides while the streets and the Mosque became full of people, and they started gathering until the evening. The situation became tense for Ubaydullah and there was none with him except thirty guards and twenty people from among the noblemen, his family and retainers. While the noblemen came to meet Ubaydullah from the second door adjoining the building of the Romans Ubaydullah called Kaseer bin Shihab Harisi and ordered him to take along with him, a man from among the clan of Mazhaj and roam in the streets, admonishing the people to desert Muslim. Besides he told Muhammad bin al-Aash’as to go, and with the help of his supporters among the Bani Kinda and Hazramawt, pitch a standard into the ground and to call out that whoever comes under the standard would remain safe. In the same way he instructed Qa’qa’ bin Shaur, Shabas bin Rab’ee Tamimi, Hajjar bin Abjar Ajali and Shimr bin Ziljawshan Zababi to do the same.

They went out and started admonishing people from supporting Muslim bin Aqeel (A.S). Then Ubaydullah told the noblemen and chiefs who were with him to deceive those people who were subservient to them with false promises, and admonish and warn those who were disobedient to them. They did as directed, with the effect that when people heard the words of their noblemen, they started moving away and scattered. Until the situation reached such a stage that women started coming to their sons and brothers and telling them to return, for the other people who were left were sufficient for the task (of supporting Muslim). Likewise men too started coming (to take their relatives) and people started moving away. Ultimately Muslim was left with only thirty men. When he recited the Prayers of Maghrib in the Mosque, thirty people followed him. When he saw this situation he turned towards the door of the Bani Kindah. Only ten people remained with him until he reached the door, but when he stepped out no one was left.

Then he turned around and saw that no one was left to guide him or offer him shelter in their house or defend him from the enemy. Hence Muslim wandered in the lanes of Kufa.